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 David Miranda had appealed against his detention and nine-hour
questioning under anti-terrorism legislation last August when he
landed at London's Heathrow Airport en route from Berlin to Rio De
Janeiro, Brazil.
British authorities seized items from Miranda which they said
included electronic media containing 58,000 documents from the U.S.
National Security Agency, Snowden's former employer, and from its
British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
The High Court ruled on Wednesday that the detention of the partner
of the ex-Guardian newspaper reporter was lawful.
"In my judgment the Schedule 7 (of the Terrorism Act) stop was a
proportionate measure in the circumstances," said Judge John Laws.
"Its objective was not only legitimate, but very pressing."
The ruling also criticized Greenwald's evidence that journalists
share with government the responsibility to decide what should not
be published to protect national security.
"Journalists have no such constitutional responsibility," the ruling
said.
"The journalist will have his own take or focus on what serves the
public interest, for which he is not answerable to the public
through Parliament."
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Miranda's lawyers said they had applied for permission to appeal
against the decision and that journalists were now finding
alternative ways to protect material when traveling through
Britain.
"We look forward to the Court of Appeal considering the
fundamentally important legal issues raised in our appeal in due
course," said Gwendolen Morgan.
"Whilst the courts consider our appeal, we understand that
journalists are making alternative travel plans to safeguard their
material, sources and confidential working systems when they have to
travel via the UK."
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Stephen Addison)
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